Those of us of a certain age and inclination may recall Carrie Bradshaw declaring, “A squirrel is just a rat with a cuter outfit.” And yet doesn’t the outfit make all the difference? They can be immensely charming, squirrels, with their floofy tails and acrobatic prowess. Particularly the threatened/endangered western gray squirrel, native to the Pacific Northwest. These fluffy friends prefer to travel by leaping through the tree canopy but sometimes take a spread-eagled nap on a tree branch during the heat of day and make frequent trips down to the ground to forage and store acorns and others nutty morsels. Through their foraging and caching, they contribute to forest ecosystems by spreading soil-friendly mycorrhizal fungi.  

The status of western grays ranges from threatened to endangered in different states due to habitat loss from development and forest fires, as well as competition from their invasive cousins. But they have been spotted recently on main campus in Eugene! As you might imagine, natural areas Steward Emily can’t wait to welcome them to the Willamette River Natural Area (WRNA) and Millrace natural area.  

It feels like there are many metaphors to be drawn from these forest friends, whether it’s something around resilience and agility, working hard in preparation for future need, or even the value in always having access to a little snack. They also bring to mind this last flurry of fall activity before the connective and festive pause of the winter break. Finish the quarter strong, Ducks, and have a wonderful break full of delicious little snacks!  

"Squirrels plant thousand of trees each year 

 just from forgetting where they left 

their acorns. If we aimed to be just half as good 

as one of the earth’s mistakes, 

we could turn so much around."

 – Andrea Gibson, “Homesick: A Plea for Our Planet” 

The Get Inspired section features an interview or profile with a UO staff, faculty, student, or alum making a difference on campus and beyond. 

Q: How long have you worked at UO and what’s your favorite thing about working here?

A: I’ve worked at the UO for 17 years. I really enjoy the people and the lively campus environment.

Q: At a high level, what does a Senior Owner's Representative at the university do and then what do you focus on specifically?

A: I manage design and construction projects for the Eugene campus. I juggle the specific needs and often competing interests of the occupants, the departments, facilities maintenance and institutional priorities all while ensuring the design teams and construction teams are in alignment and maintain schedule and budget. I supervise and mentor other Owner’s Reps to navigate the institution and personalities to find the best path forward for their success and the success of their projects.

Q: Construction projects, particularly at a large, complex institution like the UO, can be both slow and complicated, navigating multiple constraints (and personalities). What keeps you motivated?

A: For me, it’s one big puzzle. I am energized by connecting the dots both at the big picture level and in the weeds. I enjoy seeing all the building blocks come together and empowering others along the way to take ownership in that process

Q: Construction projects, particularly at a large, complex institution like the UO, can be both slow and complicated, navigating multiple constraints (and personalities). What keeps you motivated?

A: For me, it’s one big puzzle. I am energized by connecting the dots both at the big picture level and in the weeds. I enjoy seeing all the building blocks come together and empowering others along the way to take ownership in that process

Q: How do you see your work's connection to sustainability or to making a positive difference in the world?

A: My career at UO has afforded me many opportunities to work on LEED certification and historic renovation and additions projects. At both Allen Hall and the EMU we preserved the original historic features and incorporated an exterior façade into an interior atrium space. My current project is the renovation of Friendly Hall, the third oldest building on campus and the first dormitory. It’s rewarding to extend the life of these buildings for our students for another 100 years.  

Q: What’s one attainable dream you have as a Senior Owner's Representative at the university?

A: I hope that everyone I interact with will be proud of their work and walk away feeling that it was worth it.  

Q: Okay, enough about work. What’s a fun fact (or two or three) about you?

A: I have two miniature schnauzers, I love Gonzaga basketball, and I’m currently loving The Diplomat on Netflix.

Have you felt frustrated with students seeming apathetic, resistant, or powerless? Conversely, have you seen students struggle to take lofty aspirations and bring them to life? Last, have you yourself wondered if your current practice and training has prepared you to teach, mentor, and lead through these times? If you answered yes to any of the above, this program is for you! 

The Institute for Tomorrow: Teaching and Leading in Ambiguous Presents and for Uncertain Futures is a six-month professional development for UO faculty and student-programming staff that combines the creative problem solving techniques of human-centered design with facilitation methods that enable students to integrate challenging realities such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing social instability. Through combining these modes, this program prepares faculty and staff to transform teaching, curriculum, programming, and mentoring to enact the future of higher education, today.  

The Institute for Tomorrow is relevant for all fields and focus areas and supports Oregon Rising goals for career preparation, creating a flourishing community, and environmental resilience scholarship. 

After decades as a cornerstone of campus life, Hamilton Hall is officially making way for new green space. Prior to the start of the demolition, the university worked with local nonprofit BRING Recycling, UO Surplus, and others to remove literal tons of furniture, fixtures, and other materials for resale and reuse. On November 18, demolition crews began dismantling the residence hall, salvaging as much material as possible to honor its legacy. 

In its place, the university is planning a vibrant green space and a dedicated home for beach volleyball, a transformation that blends sustainability with athletic spirit.

Above, you can see proposed mock-ups of what the new green space will look like, offering a glimpse into the exciting future of this area. This change continues UO's commitment to campus greenspace, as outlined in the Campus Plan.

Make Your Lab a Sustainability Leader
University of Oregon labs aren’t just driving discovery—they’re shaping a better future. From groundbreaking research to training tomorrow’s scientists, our labs are at the heart of innovation. Now is the opportunity to lead in sustainability.

The Sustainable Labs Program
Designed for busy research teams, this program makes going green simple and rewarding. The modular program allows labs to choose from a range of badges in areas including Energy, Waste and Recycling, Innovation, and more. Earn badges at your own pace—choose what matters most to your lab. Want to go further? Level-2 badges let you showcase your commitment (and brag a little).

Why It Matters
UO's students care about sustainability and the graduate researchers of today are tomorrow's principle investigators. This program models and delivers holistic leadership. Other benefits include: 

- Cut energy and water use

- Improve recycling and hazardous waste management

- Build an eco-conscious lab culture

- Save money, all without compromising research excellence

Ready to make an impact?
Start earning any of the multiple badges today and show that UO labs lead in sustainability. 

This initiative is a collaboration between the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Health & Safety. 

During the cold winter months, our home heating systems must work harder to keep us warm. The hydro, wind, and solar generated in the region can’t produce enough electricity to meet the additional heating demand. When there isn’t enough renewable generation to meet electric demand, natural gas-fired turbines maintain system reliability by filling in the gap.  

UO’s Central Power Station is home to a highly efficient combined turbine generator. Unlike the vast majority of gas turbines in Oregon and across the West, ours can produce electricity and then make steam from the waste heat. In other words, during the winter, our plant can squeeze more useful energy out of natural gas than most. We haven’t used it much because market conditions have favored other generators. But things are changing.

After careful research and negotiation, UO and Eugene Water and & Electric Board (EWEB) are planning to conduct a pilot to verify that during cold winter months, UO can produce power more economically and less carbon-intensively than other gas-fired generators in Oregon. During January 2026 UO will do the following:

While this experiment will increase UO's "scope one" carbon emissions, the analysis shows that it is highly likely to reduce statewide emissions. UO and EWEB will conduct a thorough emissions analysis after the pilot is complete and share results publicly. UO has also committed any revenue earned from this pilot to new conservation initiatives on campus. 

Looking for new ways to make "sound" decisions?🎵

Welcome to the UO Surplus Store!

Start treasure hunting today!

Open Mon–Wed, 10 AM–5:20 PM

Closed December 22-January 4th for Winter Break

 Follow us for the latest finds and groaniest puns: https://www.instagram.com/uo_surplus/

Save the Date! WRNA Tree Plantings this Winter

Please join us for a landmark moment in UO’s stewardship of the Willamette River Natural Area. With support from an Oregon Department of Forestry grant and our partners at the City of Eugene, Friends of Trees, and the Willamette Resources and Educational Network, the UO Natural Areas Program will plant 455 new trees over the next two years!

Mark your calendars for January 31st and February 21st to help us kick off this historic, community-powered effort.

You can now recycle pizza boxes (even with the grease stains) and paper-based cartons, like those that contain your milks, juices and similar. These cartons are known as “aseptic containers” and are often used for shelf-stable liquids, such as plant-based milks, but can also be refrigerated as with cow milk, half-and-half, juices, pre-whipped eggs, and so on. Just be sure to rinse out your containers before recycling. 

And since this expansion of paper products may cause some confusion, let’s say it loud: All. Cups. Are. Trash! 

Lane County small businesses can now apply for Green Business Grants through BRING’s Rethink Business Program. Grants of up to $1,500 support projects that improve energy efficiency and sustainability, such as LED lighting, smart thermostats, and energy-saving appliances. Last year, 26 businesses saved over $28,000 and reduced emissions through similar initiatives.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is helping investigate the entanglement of a young humpback whale stranded earlier this week near Yachats.

The humpback whale that washed ashore on the Central Oregon coastline after getting tangled in crabbing gear was euthanized after a group of volunteers were unable to get it back into the ocean, officials said.

The decision to euthanize the whale was made after a failed attempt to reorient and tow it back to sea.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said this is an example of a broader issue of marine mammal entanglement in fishing gear.

The Office of Sustainability offers monthly walking tours of sustainability features and practices at the Eugene campus. Tours occur monthly and attendees learn about  infrastructure, academic programs and student groups, among other topics. The next tour will be January 23, 11:10am at the Unthank Welcome Center. 

Gift Wrap and Decorations

Wrapping Paper: Instead of buying new wrapping paper, choose creative alternatives like reused paper, newspapers, or spare fabric (think pillowcases, blankets, or sheets). If every family wrapped just three gifts this way, we could save enough material to cover 45,000 football fields!

 

Ribbon: Reusing ribbon is a simple way to make a big impact. Just two feet of reused ribbon per family could save 38,000 miles of ribbon—enough to wrap around the Earth!

 

Christmas Lights: Switch to LED lights for your holiday décor. They use up to 95% less energy than traditional lights and last 25 times longer, saving both energy and money.

 

Food and Drink

Plan Ahead to Reduce Waste: The holidays are a time for feasting, but planning your meals and portions can help prevent excess. Reducing food waste is one of the most effective climate solutions.

 

Make the Most of Your Turkey: Instead of letting leftovers go to waste, turn them into soups, sandwiches, or creative new dishes. Every bit you save helps cut down on millions of pounds of food that would otherwise end up in landfills.

 

Love Your Leftovers: Embrace leftovers as an opportunity for delicious second meals. It’s a smart way to save money and reduce environmental impact.

 

Gifts

Choose Thoughtful Gifts: Instead of buying items that might be returned or unused, consider gifts that create memories—like concert tickets, museum passes, classes, or shared experiences.

 

Reduce Returns: Thoughtful planning and asking for wish lists can help minimize returns, which often lead to waste.

 

Skip the Unwanted Gifts: Focus on meaningful presents that reflect the recipient’s interests. This reduces the chance of gifts ending up in landfills and saves resources.

 

Trees

Go Green with Real Trees: Real Christmas trees are biodegradable and help capture carbon while they grow, making them a more sustainable choice than artificial ones.

 

Planted Trees for Extra Impact: For an eco-friendly bonus, choose a potted tree that can be replanted after the holidays, giving it a second life and benefiting the environment.

Have a UO or Eugene/Springfield-related delight or a story idea to share? Send to sstoeckl@uoregon.edu.